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Sharad Pawar, the then Minister of Agriculture, Government of India (second from right), inaugurated the international seminar, “Meeting Challenges of Global Wheat Production ‒ A Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug” organized by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) & Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on November 21, 2009 at New Delhi. It was at this seminar that the idea of establishing an international institute for South Asia in memory of Dr. Borlaug was mooted by Thomas A. Lumpkin, Director General, CIMMYT and found spontaneous acceptance by the then Minister of Agriculture, and Mangla Rai, the then Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR, among others.

BISA Launch

Happenings

Drylands
cover over 40 percent of Earth's land area and are home to more than a third of
the world's population. Though they provide ecosystem services that are crucial
for global food, nutrition and water security, they are also some of the
world's most vulnerable ecosystems. A majority of the people living in
dryland areas live in developing countries, and with fragile natural resources,
achieving food security in these areas remains challenging.
The International Dryland Development Commission (IDCC) states
that the efforts towards ensuring sustainable management of natural resources
in dryland areas "have to be boosted in order to optimize adaptive
mechanisms and risk aversion elements for dryland communities."
Organized by IDCC and Arid Sone Research Association of India (AZAI), the 13thConference on the Development of Drylands, held in Jodhpur, India, from February 11-14, brings together national and international stakeholders to discuss sustainable dryland development under the theme "Converting Dryland Areas from Grey into Green."
A traditional lamp-lighting ceremony opened the ...

The Borlaug Institute in South Asia-Punjab Agricultural
University (BISA-PAU) joint team recently received an award from the Indian
Society for Agricultural Engineers (ISEA) in recognition of their
work on rice residue management using the Super Straw Management System (Super
SMS).
The uniform spread of rice residue is essential for the
efficient use of Happy
Seeder technology and maintaining uniform soil moisture in the field.
Developed by researchers at PAU in 2016, the Super SMS is an innovative
solution for paddy residue management in rice-wheat systems.
Through facilitating in-situ residue recycling, the Super SMS attachment for self-propelled combine harvesters will play a key role in tackling the problem of residue burning in the northwestern states in India and other parts of South Asia, thereby reducing environmental pollution and improving soil health. With these benefits in mind, the Government of India has since made the use of the Super SMS mandatory for all combine harvesters in northwest India. Harminder Singh Sidhu, a ...

An exposure visit was conducted at the Jabalpur farm in Madhya Pradesh from 3rd to 5th October 2018 for the officials of the Maharashtra Tribal Development Department, encouraging adaptability and sustainability through scientific know-how. Government officials from three primary districts of Palghar, Gadchiroli and Pune participated over the two days visit. Methodologically separated, the training included farm visits, technical sessions, screening sessions, visit to hosting facilities and official meetings. BISA’s senior farm official, Mr. Pankaj Singh conducted the sessions addressing innovation in agriculture to implemented farm practices for reduced labor, land and environmental degradation. Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), scale-appropriate mechanization, precision nutrient and water management techniques, decision tools, sensors and automation-based management systems were some of the primary adapted tools discussed and showcased in the workshop. Using climate calibrated approaches, sustainable intensification of the Cereals-Legumes-Pulses system at Jabalpur was also a major feature in the visit, helping increase soil health and ...

Harinder Sidhu, Australian High Commissioner, visited the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in Ladhowal, Ludhiana, India on February 19. Arun Joshi, Managing Director for BISA & CIMMYT in India, welcomed her with an introduction about the creation, mission, and activities of BISA and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). HS Sidhu, the Senior Research Engineer for BISA, explained the work CIMMYT and BISA were conducting in conservation agriculture in collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University, machinery manufacturers and farmers. This work focuses on using and scaling the Happy Seeder, which enables direct seeding of wheat into heavy loads of rice residue without burning. This technology has been called "an agricultural solution to air pollution in South Asia," as the burning of crop residue is a huge contributor to poor air quality in South Asia.
He explained recent improvements in the technology, such as the addition of a straw management systems to add extra functionality, which has led ...

A brainstorming meeting on “Breeding for yield potential vis-à-vis biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat: Integrating genomics to move ahead” was organized jointly by CIMMYT and ICAR on Aug 21, 2018. The meeting took place in NASC Complex in New Delhi with a participation of around 50 delegates including the key officials of ICAR, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), State Universities and CIMMYT.
Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR chaired the meeting with Dr. Hans J. Braun, Director, Global Wheat Program (GWP), CIMMYT and Dr. Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR.
Dr. Mohapatra expressed that there is a need to find a well-designed path to take advantage of the strengths of both CIMMYT and ICAR institutes. CIMMYT has a vast experience in germplasm enhancement globally which can be gainfully utilized by the Indian wheat program. Therefore, this meeting is to discuss critically how ...